Unicycling through Laos: Training

How does one unicycle 500km through Laos? Practice. It also helps to use a unicycle with a huge wheel, at least if you want to keep up with the other people on the tour. I'd been riding normal size unicycles for a decade, but had never ridden the giant monster required for this sort of trip, and it's really a different beast. I also needed to whip myself into really great condition. The days of riding on the tour are long and hard and I want to enjoy them, not just barely make it from one day to the next.

We had a suggested training schedule, which was helpful. I was ahead of it for a while, but a few weeks of awful weather made it more difficult, as did the limited daylight hours in the winter.

What follows is a log of all my training rides, which, since I'm starting from zero on this behemoth, is also a log of all the rides I've ever done on a 36 inch unicycle, right up to the tour itself.

total distance:1024km
riding days:33
MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday

20 Oct 2005

24.5km
11.0km/h
165m climbing
152mm cranks
night

22 Oct 2005

Rancho San Antonio

18.6km
11.2km/h
280m climbing
152mm cranks
dirt
map

23 Oct 2005

to Shoreline and back

34.0km
11.7km/h
235m climbing
152mm cranks
gravel
map

25 Oct 2005

27.8km
13.5km/h
180m climbing
152mm cranks
night

27 Oct 2005

23.7km
13.6km/h
165m climbing
152mm cranks
night

30 Oct 2005

Rob's Ride

33.4km
9.8km/h
640m climbing
152mm cranks
dirt
map

03 Nov 2005

10.7km
13.5km/h
50m climbing
152mm cranks
dirt, grass

04 Nov 2005

31.0km
13.6km/h
250m climbing
152mm cranks
night

06 Nov 2005

Lexington reservoir

20.7km
11.1km/h
400m climbing
152mm cranks
dirt
map

07 Nov 2005

32.7km
13.7km/h
235m climbing
152mm cranks
rain, night

10 Nov 2005

11.8km
13.3km/h
120m climbing
140mm cranks
dirt, gravel

12 Nov 2005

14.2km
14.1km/h
220m climbing
140mm cranks

13 Nov 2005

Aptos to Moss Landing and back

60.9km
13.5km/h
870m climbing
140mm cranks

map

17 Nov 2005

15.9km
14.8km/h
180m climbing
140mm cranks

20 Nov 2005

Rob's Ride

31.4km
10.7km/h
610m climbing
152mm cranks
dirt
map

21 Nov 2005

33.2km
13.7km/h
400m climbing
140mm cranks
(dirt, gravel) (night)

24 Nov 2005

8.6km
12.8km/h
0m climbing
140mm cranks
10kg pack

25 Nov 2005

8.6km
14.0km/h
35m climbing
140mm cranks
10kg pack

27 Nov 2005

Aptos to Moss Landing and back

62.6km
13.5km/h
810m climbing
140mm cranks

map

04 Dec 2005

Rob's Ride

31.4km
11.2km/h
575m climbing
152mm cranks
dirt
map

06 Dec 2005

Pulgas Water Temple

74.3km
13.6km/h
1080m climbing
140mm cranks

map

09 Dec 2005

Stevens Canyon

25.9km
12.8km/h
370m climbing
140mm cranks

map

15 Dec 2005

8.3km
14.0km/h
0m climbing
140mm cranks
night

21 Dec 2005

San Diego to Mexico

48.8km
12.0km/h
650m climbing
140mm cranks
(heavy traffic) (night)
map

23 Dec 2005

hilly San Diego suburbs

10.6km
10.8km/h
400m climbing
140mm cranks

map

26 Dec 2005

Rob's Ride variant

38.7km
10.9km/h
780m climbing
140mm cranks
loose crank
map

28 Dec 2005

Lexington reservoir

20.9km
10.4km/h
400m climbing
140mm cranks

map

29 Dec 2005

Capitola to Wilder Ranch and back

33.9km
12.7km/h
410m climbing
140mm cranks

map

05 Jan 2006

Stevens Canyon

9.2km
11.3km/h
180m climbing
140mm cranks
new brake, new tube
map

06 Jan 2006

Palo Alto - Woodside loop

28.4km
13.1km/h
450m climbing
140mm cranks

map

08 Jan 2006

Highway 1: Santa Cruz to Big Basin

74.2km
12.6km/h
1090m climbing
140mm cranks

map

11 Jan 2006

Palo Alto - Woodside - Hwy 92 and back

54.2km
12.6km/h
685m climbing
140mm cranks

map

15 Jan 2006

Eureka Canyon loop

61.5km
11.0km/h
1050m climbing
152mm cranks

map